Carrigeen Bay

Ireland’s Eye is a small uninhabited island located off the north shore of the Howth peninsula immediately outside Howth Harbour on Ireland's east coast. Carrigeen Bay is situated on the west side of the island and offers a secluded anchorage.

Ireland’s Eye is a small uninhabited island located off the north shore of the Howth peninsula immediately outside Howth Harbour on Ireland's east coast. Carrigeen Bay is situated on the west side of the island and offers a secluded anchorage.

Carrigeen Bay is a tolerable anchorage that is only serviceable in settled conditions and is used largely for a landing on Ireland’s Eye. It should be avoided in any unsettled weather and particularly after strong east or southeast conditions that cause a swell to run in Howth Sound. The anchorage may be approached from the seaward to the east and south between Howth Harbour and Irelands Eye, or from the north via Howth Sound. Access is straightforward in each case.

In any unsettled weather conditions contact Howth Marina prior to arrival so that a berth may be allocated.

Summary

Position and approaches

Haven position

This is in the two metre contour off the landing beach where you can feel your way into a suitable depth.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) Howth Sound fairway initial fix

53° 24.500' N, 006° 4.560' W

This leads through into Howth Sound and passed through the fairway on a line of bearing of 158° T that may be seen by aligning the Martello Tower, situated in the southeast corner of Howth harbours, aligned against the eastern side of the harbour entrance.

(ii) Howth Buoy initial fix

53° 23.727' N, 006° 3.593' W

This waypoint sets up a final approach from the southeast (south around Irelands Eye). The Howth buoy is the first marker for the channel into Howth Sound starboard hand F1.G 5 sec. Please note if approaching from the north keep outside of Rowan Rocks east cardinal Q - (3) 10 sec.

Initial fixes only set up their listed targets. Do not plan to sail directly between initial fixes as a routing sequence.

Not what you need?

Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Carrigeen Bay for your convenience.

Chart

Please use our integrated Navionics chart to appraise the haven and its approaches. Navionics charts feature in premier plotters from B&G, Raymarine, Magellan and are also available on tablets. Open the chart in a larger viewing area by clicking the expand to 'new tab' or the 'full screen' option.

How to get in?

Use the directions provided for Howth for approaches to Carrigeen Bay. From the Howth Sound fairway initial fix it is possible to come straight into the anchorage.

Anchor in sand off the island according to draft and conditions. Those intending to explore the island may wish to take advantage of a rising tide to make the dinghy ride to the shore shorter by coming in closer.

Why visit here?

Ireland's Eye, in Irish Inis Mac Neasáin, derives its name from a combination of Irish myth and ancient Norse. In Celtic times the small island was called ‘Eria's Island’. Eria being a woman's name that in time became confused with Erin, a derivation of Éireann, the Irish name for Ireland. Later the Vikings substituted Ey, the Norse equivalent for Island, and so it acquired the name Erin's Ey that ultimately became Ireland's Eye.

Situated about a kilometre north of Howth harbour, with Lambay Island some five miles further to the north, it is made up of the main island with a registered area of 21.5 hectares (53 acres), plus a range of rocks and an islet called ‘Thulla’ to the south. The island’s most spectacular natural feature is its huge freestanding rock "The Stack", at the northeastern corner of the island on the opposite side to Carrigeen Bay.

St. Nessan founded a monastery on the island in the 6th century but no trace of this exists today. The remnants of a later 8th-century church, the Church of the Three Sons of Nessan, can still be found to the southeast from the landing beach at Carrigeen Bay. This was the historic parish church for Howth until in recent centuries a more convenient church was established in the village - those planning to visit the church ruins should come prepared with long trousers as it is surrounded by a thicket of nettles.

The early 19th century Martello Tower overlooking the anchorage can be visited. It is part of a series of towers built around the coast of Ireland to defend against a Napoleonic invasion with its corresponding compatriots overlooking Howth Harbour and another tower at Red Rock, Sutton. The tower's entrance is five metres above ground level and can be accessed by a rope that hangs down its wall.

Today the island is part of a Special Area of Conservation and is one of the best places around Dublin for bird watching. "The Stack" plays host to a large variety of seabirds, including thousands of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gulls. Ireland's fifth gannet colony became established on ‘The Stack’ in the 1980s, and there are now a few hundred pairs which breed there each year. A large cormorant colony and a few breeding pairs of puffins are also on the main island. Grey Seals are prolific in the sea around the island.

Unlike its near neighbour Lambay Island, access to Ireland's Eye has never been restricted and admission is free. For the visiting yachtsman, after a dinghy landing, Ireland's Eye is an interesting island to explore with an abundance of wildlife and spectacular scenery. Please exercise care not to distress bird life during your visit and if you plan to rock climb please do so in late summer.

What facilities are available?

There are no facilities or water available on Ireland’s Eye.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred off Ireland’s Eye. You are most likely to be alone when anchored here.

With thanks to:

Please zoom out to see the 'initial fixes' for this location.The above plots are not precise and indicative only.

An aerial view of the island commencing from Carrigeen Bay

The Carrigeen Bay approach from Howth Harbour

The approach into the Carrigeen Bay landing area

The view from the island of Carrigeen Bay

The view northward from the island's summit

The view of Howth Sound from the island's summit

About Carrigeen Bay

Ireland's Eye, in Irish Inis Mac Neasáin, derives its name from a combination of Irish myth and ancient Norse. In Celtic times the small island was called ‘Eria's Island’. Eria being a woman's name that in time became confused with Erin, a derivation of Éireann, the Irish name for Ireland. Later the Vikings substituted Ey, the Norse equivalent for Island, and so it acquired the name Erin's Ey that ultimately became Ireland's Eye.

Situated about a kilometre north of Howth harbour, with Lambay Island some five miles further to the north, it is made up of the main island with a registered area of 21.5 hectares (53 acres), plus a range of rocks and an islet called ‘Thulla’ to the south. The island’s most spectacular natural feature is its huge freestanding rock "The Stack", at the northeastern corner of the island on the opposite side to Carrigeen Bay.

St. Nessan founded a monastery on the island in the 6th century but no trace of this exists today. The remnants of a later 8th-century church, the Church of the Three Sons of Nessan, can still be found to the southeast from the landing beach at Carrigeen Bay. This was the historic parish church for Howth until in recent centuries a more convenient church was established in the village - those planning to visit the church ruins should come prepared with long trousers as it is surrounded by a thicket of nettles.

The early 19th century Martello Tower overlooking the anchorage can be visited. It is part of a series of towers built around the coast of Ireland to defend against a Napoleonic invasion with its corresponding compatriots overlooking Howth Harbour and another tower at Red Rock, Sutton. The tower's entrance is five metres above ground level and can be accessed by a rope that hangs down its wall.

Today the island is part of a Special Area of Conservation and is one of the best places around Dublin for bird watching. "The Stack" plays host to a large variety of seabirds, including thousands of guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gulls. Ireland's fifth gannet colony became established on ‘The Stack’ in the 1980s, and there are now a few hundred pairs which breed there each year. A large cormorant colony and a few breeding pairs of puffins are also on the main island. Grey Seals are prolific in the sea around the island.

Unlike its near neighbour Lambay Island, access to Ireland's Eye has never been restricted and admission is free. For the visiting yachtsman, after a dinghy landing, Ireland's Eye is an interesting island to explore with an abundance of wildlife and spectacular scenery. Please exercise care not to distress bird life during your visit and if you plan to rock climb please do so in late summer.

Other options in this area

Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:

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